Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 10, 2009
Contact : Sue McKinney
GUILTY PLEA ENTERED FOR TAX VIOLATORS
United States Attorney Maxwell Wood announced that on April 7, 2009 in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Robin Canty, Yolanda Canty and Jacqueline Kier entered guilty pleas to Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims, 18 United States Code, Section 286.
An investigation was conducted of the fraudulent tax refund scheme and it was confirmed that the defendants were involved in a scheme to file false tax returns based on fabricated W-2 forms in their own names and in the names of others. Most of the “taxpayers” had no knowledge of the returns being filed in their names. The defendants would persuade individuals to provide them with their names, social security numbers and dates of birth. The defendants would use this information to create false W-2 forms in the name of actual employers who did not employ the individuals. The tax returns would be electronically filed and requests made for refund anticipation loans; then the refunds would be sent by direct deposit to a bank account which was controlled by the defendants.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, the amount of the intended loss attributed to the conspiracy was a total of $192,529.00. The defendants are facing a maximum possible sentence of ten years, and a maximum fine of $250,000.00 for one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims 18 U.S.C. § 286. The date of sentencing will be determined by the Court.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Group, Macon, Georgia and the prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Graham Thorpe.
